Marie Laurencin, French (1885-1956) is a well-listed artist whose works are very much in demand. This was in a very important private collection whose owner wishes to remain anonymous. It is rare to find an authentic original Marie Laurencin watercolor, especially with this outstanding and very representative subject matter. (Nowadays one sees lithographs and prints priced very high.) I consider this artwork to have great investment value, as well as something to enjoy great pride of ownership.

Medium: Watercolor on paper.

Size: 14-1/2" by 10-1/4". Framed 25 1/4" by 21 1/4".

Signed: Lower right.

Condition: Tack holes in corners. Overall in Good to Very Good Condition.

Born on October 31, 1883 in Paris, the young Marie Laurencin was sent to Sèvres by her mother in 1901, where she got familiar with porcelain painting. Her education continued at a school in Paris, followed by the Humbert academy, where Marie Laurencin got acquainted with Georges Braque. She soon met Picasso and Guillaume Apollinaire, who supported her from this time on and integrated her in discussions about art theory, which soon lead to Cubism. The artist's own creative work, however, remained untouched by such theoretical demands; it shows mainly lyrical motifs like graceful, dreamy young girls in pastel coloring and soft shading. This color-sensitive inventiveness leads to a variation of repetitions of form and motifs. The influence of Persian miniature painting and Rococo art are undeniable in Laurencin's works.

In 1907 Marie Laurencin gave her debut at the "Salon des Indépendants," followed by a large exhibition at Barbazanges' in 1912 and at P. Rosenberg's in 1920. From 1924 Laurencin also worked on designing stage sets. She produced stage design for Diaghilev's "Ballets russe" and the set for the "Comédie Francaise" in 1928. She also illustrated books, such as André Gide's "La Tentative Amoureuse" and Lewis Caroll's "Alice in Wonderland."